When a team with Spectrum News 1 set out across the Tar Heel State in August 2019, the Democratic primary elections were still far off on the horizon. The field was crowded, with more than two dozen candidates.

While many voters had their favorites, one name popped up more often than not: Joe Biden.

Fast forward to March of this year, Biden dominated in North Carolina’s Democratic primary. He racked up 43 percent of the vote that night, besting his nearest competitor, Bernie Sanders, by nearly 20 percent.

North Carolina contributed to Biden’s dominance on Super Tuesday, a night that helped turn the tide in the primary race.

With Biden now as the nominee, what does that mean for North Carolina come Nov. 3?

Polling shows the presidential race in North Carolina is tight, with Joe Biden and Donald Trump neck and neck.

This story is part of a series called “Battleground 2020: North Carolina,” which follows up on a 2019 Spectrum News 1 series looking at the state of play in North Carolina ahead of the election.



Voters on Biden

Voters interviewed by Spectrum News 1 were generally upbeat about Biden as the nominee.

“I actually supported Mayor Pete Buttigieg during the primary season, but Joe Biden was always a favorite of mine. I think in a lot of ways, Joe represents looking for truth,” said Mike Lein, a resident of Fuquay-Varina.

“I do like Joe Biden. I think he has good ideas and he cares about the people of America,” said Sophie Mead, a freshman at Appalachian State.

But lingering questions do remain, particularly as to whether voters who backed more progressive candidates in the primary will rally behind Biden come November. That includes Kaleb Geisler-Cukaitis, an Appalachian State student who spoke to Spectrum News 1 in 2019.

“I’m ready to see something more progressive in this nation than the average Joe,” he said at the time.

While some local Democratic leaders argue that the idea of removing President Trump will be enough to motivate voters like that to head to the polls, one Nash County Democrat offered this advice to those wishing for a more progressive nominee.

“What we need to do is get Democrats in the White House and get Democrats elected up and down the ballot. And then the issues that you care most about will be heard,” said Robin Latham, president of the Nash County Democratic Women organization.

Local Republican Leaders on Biden

Several Republican county leaders downplayed Biden as a threat, including Phillip Stephens, chairman of the Robeson County GOP.

“They’re using the same game plan they used with Hillary Clinton … attack the president. That’s their platform,” he said.

But not everyone is so confident.

Last year, Nash County Republican Chairman Mark Edwards said the former vice president could present a challenge to Trump, especially when compared to some of his more progressive primary rivals like Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

That is a position Edwards maintains for the most part now.

“I think [Biden has] got some advantages, especially with African American community, which will come into play in Nash County,” he said.

Black voter participation in North Carolina dipped in 2016 with Hillary Clinton atop the Democratic ticket. Energizing those voters could be key for Democrats to flip the state red in 2020.